Ribbons
by Pisceanduality
Summary: ONE SHOT: Kyo defends Tohru from the Fanclub. KyoTohru. Sensible Fluff. 800 words. REVISED APRILL 2006.


Ribbons

By: Naraku's Miasma

7/9/04

* * *

"Let's go," she heard him say.

His tone was solid and unquestionable. "Er, o-okay."

His hand clutched one of the locks of her hair. The ribbons were crushed.

He led her away from the prying, suffocating "Prince Yuki Fan Club." They were surprised at his abrupt entrance and the brash way he had "saved" her from them. One of them remarked to the others that she deserved it.

But she knew what his actions meant-- that they were a shocking, cold wall to the world. Because of who he was. And who she was.

They both said nothing, until she felt the tug on her relax and her hair slip away from his fingers. The ribbons were bent; the yellow ribbons Yuki had given her.

She turned around and looked at him, but his back was turned. She waited and he stayed. He always stayed.

"You don't need to take it from…from _them_!" he said. He was angry. His voice was tight and she knew he was trying very hard to keep his emotions together, for both of them. " Those girls might hate you, but it's because of that damn rat!"

She watched his shoulders harden and constrict and his arms straightened out, hands fisted at his sides. The beads on his wrist stirred.

"Kyo," she began.

He turned around to face her. The anger was still there but it flew just past her head and bounced off the wall behind her.

He watched the yellow ribbons in her hair. They were bent because of him. _Good._

Her fingers reached out to touch his hand. "Kyo," she said again, explaining what she meant by simply saying his name.

He watched her fingers, they traveled up his hand and found the beads. He shivered. He remembered. She trusted him. He stepped forward, wishing at that moment to embrace her without consequences. Instead he pressed his palms into the stucco wall behind her, keeping her out of touch, but near. "They don't know who you are. Hell, they don't even know the rat and they worship him!" But his face softened even as he spoke.

He leaned forward and rested his cheek against hers.

And there were the ribbons. The damn yellow ribbons. The rat had everything. Even her.

He pulled back from her, his red hued eyes steely again. His fingers went to her hair-- her brown hair that was tied in those ribbons. He pulled, crushing the other ribbon. The dainty bow that he'd seen her assemble earlier that morning was undone. With his other hand, he pushed himself back just a little bit and tugged gently at the other yellow bow. His eyes traveled to her face again. She was blushing, as could be expected from the pure little thing.

He felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth and he obliged it. His hands fell back to his sides, the ribbons in them. Tohru did nothing but stand still and blush.

But then there was the feathery touch of her fingertips on his wrists.

She wanted the ribbons back, didn't she? He loosened his grip on them and let her take them. It was fine, he figured, but like Hell she was going to wear them again. "Tohru," he said under his breath.

His empty hands moved to some of the freed locks of hair.

She blushed more furiously now. He grinned anew and leaned forward. Her mouth was soft and pliable. It was _made_ to accommodate his own. Heavy butterflies fluttered in his belly. He leaned forward into her, made himself fit against her soft little mouth. All of it was brief and yet he'd lost all time in that moment. His arms lifted themselves to hold her closer, but he caught himself, and in doing so seemed to end the moment. He pulled away.

His hands rested against the wall, on either side of her head. Her eyes were opening, but she kept them half lidded. Her mouth looked swollen.

He wondered. And he also took note of the different flush on her cheeks.

He looked down at her and grinned again. So that was her first kiss? The cat inside of him purred. He laid his cheek against hers again and then buried his nose just under her ear. The butterflies boiled in his stomach again.

Kyo wondered what Tohru would think. He tilted his head to look down, over her shoulder and smiled into her soft skin; the yellow ribbons lay crumpled like withered flowers on the floor.

"I'm going to buy you new ones," he said. "Orange ones. So everyone will know."

_So that_ he _will know._

He felt her sigh and smiled as he left a kiss on her neck.


End file.
